fence questions...

[Dave]

It is a good thing it is open range here. Most of our fences were built by Noah before he went into the boat building business. There is no such thing as tight wire and most of the splices have splices in them. A lot of them made with juniper posts. 80-90 years ago there weren't any fences. Cattle were all branded and when they came out of the hills they were sorted by owner. We aren't too far from that today.

 

[Travlr]

"""I looked at it and can't figure out how it's used. I think it's got to be some kind of lever, but damn if I can work out where you attach any wires or how it takes a strain..""""



I like to use it and then put a wood stave right next to it. Make a pretty good patch.

Well isn't that slick. I've never seen one of those tools. Thanks...

 

[Brute 23]

If an animal goes through the fence because of a loose wire I get rid of the animal. I like fences to look nice and tight but being functional is most important and I've never seen a loose wire change functionality in the short term. Leaving them for extended periods is kind of the first start of the breakdown of the fence.

 

[Silver]

I just need my braces to kinda hold together until the trees grow up so thick that you no longer need the braces, can't see the wire or posts, and couldn't tighten the wire even if you could find it because the wire has grown right into the trees.

 

[GoWyo]

It is a good thing it is open range here. Most of our fences were built by Noah before he went into the boat building business. There is no such thing as tight wire and most of the splices have splices in them. A lot of them made with juniper posts. 80-90 years ago there weren't any fences. Cattle were all branded and when they came out of the hills they were sorted by owner. We aren't too far from that today.

We're 90% private land and maybe 10% state and the fences around the neighborhood make 3-wire BLM drift fences look sturdy. Hard to find a sound corner brace anywhere.

 

[wbvs58]

I bought one for Mr TC a few years ago and even I can tighten a loose wire pretty good with it.

I have one also. It has been great maintaining some of my old original fences just cut out some old rotten split posts and replace with steel pickets and tighten the wire up with these. The old strainer posts are pretty fragile so you don't want to put too much pressure on them, these seem to put just the right amount.

Ken

 

[wbvs58]

If an animal goes through the fence because of a loose wire I get rid of the animal. I like fences to look nice and tight but being functional is most important and I've never seen a loose wire change functionality in the short term. Leaving them for extended periods is kind of the first start of the breakdown of the fence.

You don't want them too tight, if a calf goes through they gotta be able to get back. The previous owner here had a thing about calves crawling under fences and had all these fences with a useless wire close to the ground which is now mostly caught up in grass. All the calves I see go through fences seem to bounce through the middle strands.

Ken

 

[50/50Farms]

Sometimes something as simple a board tied up, a singular extra strand, or even a stick tied with baling twine can keep calves from continuing to use a chancy fence spot or a too-high gate. Sometimes.

 

[wbvs58]

Probably so ken. Most don't get anywhere close to truly tight. In areas that get really cold or lots of snow drift I'm sure it's different. Here in Texas I have zero doubt if you stretch the wire near it's breaking point that's just right.
And that's tighter than a tension meter calls good. If you pull wire tight enough including low carbon. It will not "get loose"

I have a couple of fences to restrain tomorrow, they are only a couple of years old and have good braces but both have had large branches come down on them and instead breaking, the wire has stretched considerably. They were tensioned up to what the tensionometer said was right for that wire. On both fences the trees came down close to the brace so I should be able to redo them pretty good. I'm thinking that maybe they are manufacturing it with this built in stretch. The brand will not mean anything to you but it is a well known brand here Angas, 1.57mm high tensile and it says to tension to 1.3KN. My gauge doesn't show KN on it just a mark where 1.57 wire should be strained to. I'm going to send an email to the manufacturer and ask about this stretch in it. Maybe if I took it up to what you are saying it will take that stretch out of it.

Ken

 

[b.duke]

I just see the end of a portable panel.
No wood post.
I'll go first.
Stay-tuff 13448. With barbView attachment 23277

you do a good job, but i don't like nothing but t-posts in between. my recent farm i bought has it all done like you have it. but the posts are 5.5" steel. The fence is tight as can be but the t-posts are bent over in a lot of spots. not all the way over.. but almost at a 45. now.. did they not get the wire all the way tight? nope.. its still tight as a violin string. these fences around around 15 yrs old

 

[TCRanch]

Well isn't that slick. I've never seen one of those tools. Thanks...

Not very expensive and worth it for the small, quick fixes.

 

[TexasRancher]

It's good I think to post photos of yourself. Always nice to put a face with a name. But keeping on topic let's see some of your fence.

You both are instigators....while i'm still trying to figure out how two bulls on either side of the fence fighting inbetween "stay-stuff" square fencing wrap is going to keep the barb-wire nice and tight. Does it have longer barbs then the fencing wire? I'm confused..."Stay-stuff" sounds like a feed not a fencing solution.

 

[callmefence]

you do a good job, but i don't like nothing but t-posts in between. my recent farm i bought has it all done like you have it. but the posts are 5.5" steel. The fence is tight as can be but the t-posts are bent over in a lot of spots. not all the way over.. but almost at a 45. now.. did they not get the wire all the way tight? nope.. its still tight as a violin string. these fences around around 15 yrs old

just for the record and as pictured. we dont put all tpost. we put a pipe post every 96 feet. also we generally use 1.39 tp[ost vs the typical 1.25

 

[b.duke]

just for the record and as pictured. we dont put all tpost. we put a pipe post every 96 feet. also we generally use 1.39 tp[ost vs the typical 1.25

done right. nice.

 

[50/50Farms]

you do a good job, but i don't like nothing but t-posts in between. my recent farm i bought has it all done like you have it. but the posts are 5.5" steel. The fence is tight as can be but the t-posts are bent over in a lot of spots. not all the way over.. but almost at a 45. now.. did they not get the wire all the way tight? nope.. its still tight as a violin string. these fences around around 15 yrs old

They bend 'em like that to let the rain run off XD

 

[callmefence]

its exactly like anything else. everyone thinks what they have are built is the best. the old tractor, the old truck etc its good enough. but if you offered them a new one they wouldnt turn it down. so its not about whats best its about the money or effort you are willing to put into something. fence gets this the worse. again most people do not have a clue as to what quality properly tensioned wire can do. i posted a series of pictures several years back of a fence mashed to the ground by a large oak tree. when the tree was cut off the fence it stood back up pretty much on its own. still much tighter than most new fences. maybe some one can find it. ......,.... i get paid for my fence. and if a brace pulls or wire loosens up i have to warranty that. in 30 years ive learned to keep that from happening i[everyone whos helped build a fence around 100 acres thinks theyre a expert} fenceman

 

[farmerjan]

its exactly like anything else. everyone thinks what they have are built is the best. the old tractor, the old truck etc its good enough. but if you offered them a new one they wouldnt turn it down. so its not about whats best its about the money or effort you are willing to put into something. fence gets this the worse. again most people do not have a clue as to what quality properly tensioned wire can do. i posted a series of pictures several years back of a fence mashed to the ground by a large oak tree. when the tree was cut off the fence it stood back up pretty much on its own. still much tighter than most new fences. maybe some one can find it. ......,.... i get paid for my fence. and if a brace pulls or wire loosens up i have to warranty that. in 30 years ive learned to keep that from happening i[everyone whos helped build a fence around 100 acres thinks theyre a expert} fenceman

Do you travel???? Maybe I ought to get you to come here and build some fence. The one guy who built some pretty nice fence has retired and finding anyone to build fence is pretty difficult. Everyone is a "fence builder" .....

 

[Silver]

I'd be interested to know how tight is tight enough, and if we are talking high tensile barbed wire or the regular stuff.

 

[callmefence]

I'd be interested to know how tight is tight enough, and if we are talking high tensile barbed wire or the regular stuff.

My son tells the new hires to pull barbwire until it breaks and then says next time one click less. While that's kinda a joke it's really not that far from being right. You get to where you can tell by the wieght on the handle of the jack or feeling like wire . And you should be breaking a wire from time to time. If you take out all the stretch, it won't loosen.

Disclaimer..I would imagine this would be poor advice in the frozen north.
Although I had a colleague in Indiana who agrees. Our extended temps only have about a 75 degrees variation. Yours is much greater. That's gonna make a difference.

 

[Ouachita]

I'm closer to Texas than Canada and still had a few wires snap. Fence was built in 100+ degree August weather. The fencer is well known for a tight fence. First bitter cold snap the following winter (single digits) popped a few wires. All but one was directly beneath a staple, so probably had compromised the wire.